Star spinner Rashid Khan will not participate in Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match against Sri Lanka next month, as he recovers from back surgery, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed Monday.
Rashid, 25, is Afghanistan’s leading Test wicket-taker with 34 wickets in five matches and plays a crucial role across all formats.
The ACB statement noted that Rashid’s recovery is being carefully monitored. In his absence, leg-spinning all-rounder Qais Ahmad has been added to the squad for the Test, scheduled for Feb. 2-6 in Colombo.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain the team, which includes players like Noor Ali Zadran and Naveed Zadran.
Afghanistan, which will also play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s during the tour, has had Test status since 2018. In their Test history, Afghanistan has won three out of seven matches.
ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf remarked on the busy schedule for 2024, calling it a sign of progression in Test cricket for Afghanistan.
The full squad for the Test includes Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Ishaq, Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Bahir Shah, Nasir Jamal, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nijat Masood, Mohammad Saleem Safi, and Naveed Zadran.
